Sheep Cushion

My sheep cushion has been a work in progress for a couple of months. It started when I couldn’t find a pattern that I liked and so decided to just design my own. So I drew what I wanted on squared paper, and wrote out the instructions for myself to follow, as though it was any other pattern.

But this month I was determined to finish it so I made it my goal for A Lovely Year Of Finishes – and I must have been eager to get it done, as I was #1 on the link-up!

I’ve learnt lots of things making my sheep:

• If you can draw it, you can make it!
• If you make your drawing detailed you can end up with some pretty small/tricky measurements (I had some working in sixteenths for that nose!)
• If someone says to you, “You should use that soft fabric (minky) for the wool so it’s more sheep-like!” and that person has no experience of sewing, you should think very carefully before going with their suggestion!
• Patchwork with minky = hard work.
• Half square triangles made with minky, with starting squares that are 7/8 inch = very hard work!

But when it’s finished you can stand back and admire it and realise that you did all of it, from start to finish, and then it’s all worth it.

It’s nice and bright and you can stroke the sheep because they’re fluffy! I went with a black border more because black was the only colour I had a big enough piece for rather than by design, but I think it was a really good choice to make the other colours stand out more.

I had a fat quarter of each bright colour and used up the rest of them to make the envelope backing (there’s purple there too but it’s hidden under the orange).

A couple of people while I was still working on this said I should type it up and sell it as a pattern, but who would want a pattern with such fiddly pieces?! I would have to make the block larger so you weren’t working in sixteenths, which is doable but probably not something I’m going to do immediately as I have so many other things to finish!

So yay, I finished my goal, I designed my own block and the mini one has his own cushion (only three days late for his birthday!)

I’m linking up with A Lovely Year Of Finishes, And So We Craft Together and Sew Cute Tuesday